The Devil's Dance
by gotosleeplove
Summary: A seemingly kind act causes Willow's life to spiral down into pure chaos. An unpredictable clown who could kill her at any moment, along with vengeful others, envelop her everyday life, leaving her wishing for the norm once again. Joker X OC -On Hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

"Willow, are you even listening to me right now?"

The woman sighed, her pale face flustered as she cradled her phone between her ear and shoulder. Her arms were wrapped around a cardboard box, currently carrying it throughout her new apartment. Letting out a sigh, she dropped it with a thud, cracking her knuckles.

"Yes, Angela, I'm here," Willow replied with a frown. Frankly, she was getting quite tired of her friend's castigation. Not only was Angela mad about her move, but the location as well. Yes, the Narrows wasn't the best place in Gotham, she knew that. Honestly, it was the worst place there _was_ to move. Sadly, it was the only place she could afford.

She stared around the dingy apartment, paint peeling from the walls. The floor boards creaked, and musk hung in the air. But Willow was sure, in time, she'd have this place sparkling.

"Then why don't you listen to me already? I told you that you could move in with me, I wouldn't mind at all. You'll be in the city, think of the view at night! All of the lights and _safety..."_

"Angela, when it comes to Gotham, there is no safety," she chuckled, crossing her arms. Her hazel eyes flickered to her cat as he sped through the room. The fuzzy, black feline seemed just as irritated with the move as Angela was.

"You're right, I'll give you that. But Wil, I don't like you being that far away. And I'm sure Vince hates it even more..."

Willow froze at the mere mention of her ex. Hell, he was one of the reasons she moved away with such haste. "I don't care whether he likes it or not," she spat, gritting her teeth. "That bastard could burn alive for all I care," she seethed.

"Willow!" her friend choked out, surprised.

Her chagrin filled cheeks burned with color as she bit her lip. She just prayed he wouldn't find her here.

"You know I hate him, Ang, that won't change. And I'm sorry, but I'm not moving back," she murmured into the phone.

"What if I told you that you could see Bruce Wayne every day?" Angela asked, a wicked edge to her voice. Willow could nearly see the sparkle in her azure eyes, causing her to shake her head.

"That rich playboy? How is that possible?" she chuckled, leaning her back against the wall. Her golden hair fell in messy curls past her shoulders, getting tangled between her fingers and phone. She had to pull her phone away for a moment just to free it.

"You know good and well that my apartment overlooks Wayne Enterprises. I see him come to work everyday," she giggled like a small school girl.

Willow rolled her eyes. "You little creeper."

"Oh, c'mon, you know that guy is gorgeous."

"If you say so. Look, I have to go unpack. Can I call you back later?" Willow asked, noticing her cat pad back into the room.

"Alright, bye," Angela called, before hanging up the phone.

Shutting off her phone and tossing it to the side, Willow reached down to pet Georgie behind the ears. The cat purred, leaning into her touch. Not a second after, his icy eyes flickered to the window. He shot forward towards the bird that was perched outside.

"Georgie!" Willow hissed as the cat squeezed his way through the partially open window.

Cursing beneath her breath, she sped through the door to her apartment. Nearly tripping down the steps, she caught sight of her cat along the sidewalk. Sprinting forward, she managed to capture him within her arms. Unfortunately, her triumph only managed to last a moment. She was aware of voices coming from the alley just around the corner.

She froze, her hands barely holding back the struggling cat. Three voices echoed along the alley, making her blood run cold. The cat slipped through her grip, barreling away at a speed she couldn't match, even if she wanted to. Staying in place, she listened to the voices that seemed so close.

"You owe us our payment," the first growled, his grizzly voice sounding as if many cigarettes had sat between his lips. The annoyance in his tone caused her to shiver, knowing if it had been her he was talking to, she would have paid long ago. He didn't sound like a man to be messed with.

A dark chuckle sounded in the air, Willow's jaw dropping at the arrogance it possessed. "Do I now?" the owner of the chuckle replied, his slightly nasally, yet unhinged voice ringing warning bells in her head. She was positive she had heard it before, yet she couldn't pin a face to it.

"Yes," the third voice hissed, the sound of popping following soon after. Someone had popped their knuckles, or possibly a neck, she wouldn't know. "We got you outta that place, and you promised a payment," he continued, although slightly hesitant.

"Ah, yes, I remember that." The sound of rustling followed the man's voice, until the sound of a coin flipping broke through the air. The coin seemed to hit something, before sliding to the ground, clinking against the asphalt. "After all, I'm a man of my wor _d_ ," the voice snickered, before breaking into vicious cackles.

Willow peeked around the corner, her fingers white as she gripped the side of the brick wall. She saw three figures in the distance, the lack of light making it hard to see any of them clearly. The laughing one had his back to her, nearly hunched over completely as cackles tore through his body. The other two stood in front of him, their hands balled into fists by their sides. The lone coin sat at their feet, mocking them.

"What the hell is this?" the second man spat, his voice raising an octave.

"Your payment," the laughing man snickered, before a new round of laughter tumbled through his lips.

In less than a second, the first man had his fist tightly clamped around the laughing man's neck, before slamming him into the side of the wall. Even with the force, his laughs did not falter.

"You promised us money," the first man growled, tightening his grip around the laughing man's neck, nearly making his cackles cease.

"And I gave it to you," the laughing man choked out, sneering at the men before him. "If I don't recall, I didn't promise you a certain amount... so tell me. Why so serious?" the man snorted, before his laughter began once again.

The first man snarled, slamming his head back against the wall, before letting him slide to the ground by their feet. The laughing man was still giggling, seeming to smile tauntingly up at them. The second reared his leg back, about to kick the man in the gut while the first whipped out a gun. Willow realized then, that these two were going to kill this man. Unable to sit by and watch, she threw herself around the corner.

"Hey!" she screamed, grabbing everyone's attention.

That one second of distraction was all that was needed, before the laughing man shot to his feet, bending the first man's arm back. A sickening crack filled the air, a cry escaping the first man's mouth. The laughing man tore the gun from the man's grip, allowing the man to drop to the ground. Willow's stomach dropped as two shots filled the air, the second man dropping to the ground with a thud.

Both men were now dead, leaving Willow alone with the psychotic, laughing man. Regret spilled within her like a waterfall as she watched the men's blood pool beneath them in a small puddle. She was the reason they were now dead, instead of this man. Was it even worth it?

The laughing man turned to face her, his wavy hair falling into his face as he cracked his neck. She winced, her feet seeming to be melded to the ground as he approached her. The closer he came, the more she could make out. First, the orange outfit that stuck out immensely. Her heart dropped as she realized it was what those who were imprisoned in Arkham Asylum wore. That's where those two helped him escape from...

Her hands began to shake as she looked at his face, that was now only a few feet away. It was nearly bleached white, paler than anything she had ever seen before. Black circled his eyes, making them appear pitless. Emotionless. Evil. But the one thing she could not drag her eyes away from, was the red smile that streched across his cheeks. The warpaint sent shivers down her spine, her heart speeding within her chest.

Now, he was just a foot away. That bright smile still hasn't faltered, and Willow could now see that beneath the red greasepaint were scars. One side was smoothly curved up, while the other was jagged, rough. A small cut drew down his bottom lip. The Cheshire grin that was ripped into his face instantly reminded her who he was. Who could forget, after seeing his face just once on the news?

The Joker.

She was going to die tonight, after helping him. The world was quite cruel. His makeup smeared hand shot out, wrapping around her neck. Small chuckles escaped his scarred lips as his empty, dark eyes appraised her.

"Well, hello, beautiful."

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	2. Chapter 2

That one clear moment when regret hits you so hard, you could collapse from the force. It was so prominent, so strong, she could nearly feel the pricks of the ice that swallowed her veins. Her mouth was so dry, she could barley swallow as she stared into the demented eyes of the Joker, his mocking smile merciless. Escape routes flashed through her mind like wildfire, yet Willow knew that no matter which way she tried to run, he _would_ catch her. Not to mention it would only make him angrier. She was a dead women where she stood and she knew it.

"H-hello," she choked out, finding it to be her only option left. But by the look of his eyebrows slightly raising, he surely didn't expect a reply.

His wicked smile grew ten sizes as he stared down at her, his chaotic eyes flickering in all directions. "Ya kn _ow,_ you _kin_ da ruined my _uh_ fun, _sweethear_ t," he snapped, although his smile did not falter.

Her heavy breaths increased as her eyebrows furrowed, her frown deepening. "What?" she whispered, not understanding. Hadn't she just helped him?

"My fu _n_ ," he growled, his smile now fading. "Their dea _ths_ were much _t_ oo _quic_ k," he chuckled, it high-pitched and ringing. The red of the blood stuck out smoothly against the bright orange of his outfit, only adding more to his intimidating appearance.

"I thought I helped you," she snorted, before physically cringing. For just a second, she forgot who she was talking to. She had a tendency of doing that quite a lot, only adding to the heaping regret that laid on her shoulders.

His laughter cut short, his surprised eyes appraising her once more. "Doesn' _t_ a person _w_ ho _needs_ help _scream_ for i _t?_ " he growled, his sneer causing shivers to run up her spine.

"S-sometimes," she breathed, her trembling body causing the Joker to chuckle. His tongue darted from his mouth, cutting across the corner of his lips so quick, she nearly didn't see it.

His eyes quickly flickered over her face, a certain concentration running through his eyes that she couldn't recognize. "You' _re uh_ new in the Na _rrows_ , aren't _ya?_ " he asked, changing the subject so fast, it nearly made her brain swirl. Was she making small talk with an anarchist?

She roughly swallowed, before nodding her head. "Yes," she added, nearly forcing her tears away. "How did you know?" Once again, she almost slammed her hand over her own mouth. _Stop talking!_

He snickered, before breaking into his psychotic bellows. The sound echoed along the alleyway, continuing to grow in volume. "The Narr _ows_ isn't a plac _e_ for _little girlie's_ like yoursel _f_ ," he grinned, leaning even closer. She was now backed against the wall, her heart thrumming in her chest. "It's a _connectio_ n-ah," he added, with such emphasis that caused her to flinch.

A connection. So the Narrows wasn't just a run down place she could only afford... it was much more than that. The Joker wouldn't be her only concern... that is, if she would even make it back home. Gazing up at the sky, her eyes caught the blurred outlines of the Bat symbol hazing in the sky, the clouds giving it a ghostly appearance as they trickled across it. The Joker followed her line of sight, before cackling in her face.

"Hop _ing_ for the _Batman?_ " he growled, his voice so low it was nearly demonic. Her breath caught in her throat as she stood inches from him, his nose nearly touching hers.

In all honesty, she was. For him to appear out of no where, and take the Joker back where he belonged before she was done for. Instead of saying so, she viciously shook her head, biting on her lip so hard that it bled.

The Joker's eyes smoldered as he watched the bead of blood grow, seconds before he whipped out his gun. "We _ll_... it's been fu _n_ , sweethear _t_. But I, _ah_ , better get going," he purred, the barrel of the gun laid against her forehead.

That talk about seeing your life flashing before your eyes... Willow now understood what that meant. Her heart stopped, her knees nearly falling beneath her. She could almost hear the click of a clock over the Joker's laugh, his make-up stained finger pulling back the trigger...

Yet all that occurred was a click. The gun was empty after his recent usage. The clown man paused, his smile fading as he stared at the gun. A dark sneer flashed across his face as he pointed it at her once again. _Click! Click! Click!_ It was almost as if he was hypnotized, unable to believe that a bullet would not crash through her skull. Finally, he angrily slammed the gun against the wall by her head.

He opened his mouth, prepared to say something else, before the sound of footsteps were present. Snapping his head over, he heard the muffled conversation of a couple walking outside the alley. The debate in his eyes was clear as he thought over his decisions. Either kill her, and draw their attention... or leave so the police and the Bat wouldn't be after him right after he escaped.

Letting out a hiss, he pushed himself off the wall, away from her. "Look _s_ like it's your _lu_ cky night, _doll_ ," he snickered, quietly. "If you see the _Bat_ tell him I, _uh_ , said _hello_ ," he chortled, before disappearing into the night.

It was only a second before Willow ran as fast as her feet could take her. Sprinting out of the alley, and nearly taking down the two people who were passing. Not even pausing to apologize, she bolted home. Georgie was a distant memory as she wandered the Narrows, finally pausing outside of her new dingy home. Slinging the door open, she nearly collapsed in the doorway after locking the door.

The Joker.

She had just met the Joker... and _survived._ Call it luck, or merely karma, she wasn't sure. Her intentions were to help him, and she survived. Tears miserably trickled down her cheeks as she tried to calm her shaking. She lived... she had to be dreaming. The sound of the phone ringing snapped her out of her thoughts, a scream almost tumbling from her lips. _Why hadn't she screamed before?_ It would have been pointless. She slowly walked over to her cellphone, her legs feeling like jello. The adrenaline was subsiding, and she supposed these were the aftereffects. She picked up the phone, putting it to her ear.

"Hello?" she whispered to the unknown number, her heart finally slowing.

"Willow, please, I just want to talk-"

 _Click._

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	3. Chapter 3

Willow's eyes were hazed over as she stared at the ceiling. It felt almost as if she was in a dream, visions of those cold eyes circled with black never leaving her mind. Everywhere she looked, he was there. That wicked, scarred smile. She couldn't help but wonder how he got those scars in the first place. She's heard the stories; all of them. Not one was the same, leaving everyone to wonder which was true, if any. Did he even know?

She listened to her quick heartbeat finally slow, the calm reassuring beat reminding her that she was _alive._ She had survived the brutal murderer that terrorized Gotham. That killed so many people, without even batting an eye. He was brilliant. Chaotic, yet witty; witty enough to outsmart even the Batman. In the end, however, good triumphed. Her lips quirked at the notion, not believing it was fair. Yes, the lives of others and the good of everyone _should_ flourish. Yet the work some of these villains put into their psychotic plots left it quite unfair. Hypocritical even.

Slapping a hand over her eyes, she wondered truly what she was even thinking. That clown should be secured back in Arkham, unable to harm any other individual. With a stroke of luck, she managed to survive. Those harsh seconds that gun was pointed at her face left her feeling almost like a ghost. So easily she could have died; ended up just like those other two men who laid swaddled in their own blood. But, here she sat, reliving each of those moments over and over again. Each click of the gun, each mind-numbing laugh.

Should she go to the police? Tell them he was loose? They probably already knew, Arkham would let them know, she was sure. So what good would she do? She would only have to go through annoying interviews and questions, bringing far more attention than she would like. And give the Joker a clear view of who she was. That would be a death sentence.

The sound of the phone ringing nearly made her jump out of her skin. An angered scowl formed on her face as her blood boiled. If it was _him_ one more time, she would scream. Her hang up made it clear he wasn't wanted, she was sure. Pushing her shaking limbs off the couch, she yanked the phone to her ear.

"I swear to god, Vince, I thought I made it clear that-"

"Wow, wow, what's going on?"

Her anger faded at the sound of Angela's voice, along with relief. She just couldn't take much more this day. "I'm sorry, Ang, I thought it was him calling again." Pursing her lips, she sat back down on the couch as she tried to get her thoughts in order.

"So he's already bugging you at your new house, huh? Well, I would say to give the guy another chance again, but you made it clear earlier that you didn't plan to," Angela murmured, letting out a sigh. "I wanted to tell you that I saw Bruce Wayne leaving work earlier. He looked bushed... actually, worse than that. The man doesn't look like he sleeps anymore," she chuckled.

Willow rolled her eyes. "You and your fascination with that man blows my mind. It is almost considered stalking, in a way," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"No! No, it isn't. If I followed him home to his lovely mansion, then maybe... Anyway, how is the new apartment holding up? You like the Narrows so far?" she asked, although her voice held a tight edge. It was clear she still hated the idea.

Ice froze Willow's veins. She has barely even _been_ inside of her apartment so far. She wondered, then, if she should even tell Angela about her encounter with the Joker. Immediately after she considered, she rejected the idea. It would just give her another reason for her to move.

"I... well... I haven't really been in much today," she croaked, thinking of an excuse. "Georgie... he ran out earlier when I was unloading boxes. I've been looking for him all day," she nodded to herself, figuring it sounded good enough.

"Damn! Did you find him?" she gasped, and Willow could clearly hear the heart break in her friend's voice. Half the time, she thought Angela loved Georgie more than she even did.

"No. I'll go out tomorrow and look some more. Who knows, he might wonder back," she halfheartedly laughed.

"He'd better. If he slips out again, I'm going to take him," Angela warned.

"Be my guest. I'm going to go on to sleep, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Willow yawned, her eyelids drooping.

"Yeah, you have to start your new job tomorrow after all. Goodnight!" Angela said in her sing-song voice before hanging up the phone.

Rubbing her eyes, Willow sat down the phone before heading to her bedroom. This would be a long, nightmare-filled night, that was for sure. Not even bothering to change, she crawled beneath the cool covers, falling asleep within minutes.

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She felt nearly like a zombie as she finally got up the next day. After waking repetitively throughout the night, sleep still called to her. But those dark eyes and cruel smile refused to let that be possible. Stretching out her aching limbs, she rushed to get ready for her first day. Working inside of a cooped up office wasn't necessarily something she looked forward to, but it was better than staying within this dingy apartment.

Hurrying through her shower, she finally put herself together enough to look presentable. Her tangled hair pulled into a bun and her single pair of high heels on her feet. She hated the tight black skirt with a passion, but figured she should look her best today. Strolling throughout her apartment, she froze at the sound of a jingling bell. Her eyebrows furrowed as the tinkling noise sounded again.

It wasn't a second after, that a streak of black rushed past her. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Georgie stroll past her, his tail curling behind him. Her eyes slowly went to the door, seeing the deadbolt was locked, just as she left it. But then, she saw the small edge of the window left open. Her hands began to shake as she approached Georgie, kneeling down to inspect him.

He looked fine; his deep blue eyes appraising her as she ran a hand over his fur. She then noticed something white sticking out from beneath his collar. Pulling the folded paper out, she had to remind herself to breathe. Achingly slow, she unfolded the paper, nearly dropping it as she did. The messy scrawl written in green crayon made her cry out as she threw it to the ground, almost collapsing to the floor.

 **ThIs ShOuLD MaKE YOu SMILE!**

 **-J**

He had known she was there before she even called out to help him. Seen her chasing the cat... He knew where she lived, now. He _got inside..._ She knew now, that it wasn't over. She was going to die.

No one got that lucky when it came to the Joker.

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